From a young age, Joseph Malderoyce is drawn to painting—until he encounters Mondrian’s work and, convinced he can never equal such mastery, abandons art entirely for a career in law. Years later, after inheriting a fortune, he retreats to a lonely house in the far north. There, his quiet existence is disrupted when he finds a battered child asleep on his porch. Abel, abandoned and vulnerable, quickly becomes Joseph’s ward and closest companion. But as their bond deepens, the boy’s cunning intelligence takes a disturbing turn, forcing Joseph to confront the menace he has unwittingly harboured under his own roof.A masterfully haunting exploration of the dark recesses of human connection, The King’s Evil unfolds its quiet unease not just between characters, but within the reader.

From a young age, Joseph Malderoyce is drawn to painting—until he encounters Mondrian’s work and, convinced he can never equal such mastery, abandons art entirely for a career in law. Years later, after inheriting a fortune, he retreats to a lonely house in the far north. There, his quiet existence is disrupted when he finds a battered child asleep on his porch. Abel, abandoned and vulnerable, quickly becomes Joseph’s ward and closest companion. But as their bond deepens, the boy’s cunning intelligence takes a disturbing turn, forcing Joseph to confront the menace he has unwittingly harboured under his own roof.A masterfully haunting exploration of the dark recesses of human connection, The King’s Evil unfolds its quiet unease not just between characters, but within the reader.